Mount Herzel

Mount Herzel

Mount Herzel, or the ‘Mountain of Remembrance’ is the location of Israel’s national cemetery, along with memorial and educational facilities. A site visited by many on a trip to Israel, the mount is named after Theodor Herzel, founder of modern Zionism, whose tomb can be found at the top of the hill. At 834 meters above sea level, the mount is where Israel’s military dead are buried, and the majority of state memorial ceremonies for those killed at war are held here. The Garden of the Missing in Action is a memorial to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and is the resting place of soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces whose resting places are unknown. An annual service for them takes place in the garden’s plaza.

Mount Herzl has been a national cemetery since 1951 and is the burial place of four of the country’s Prime Ministers - Yitzhak Rabin, Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir and Yitzhak Shamir. Presidents and prominent Jewish and Zionist leaders are also buried here, making the mount one of the most memorable Israeli sites.